This week it was announced that Wellington would be getting free WiFi in the CBD in time for the Rugby World Cup. Also this week, social media was reported to be a top driver of traffic to travel websites, get up to speed with the 5 things you need on your LinkedIn profile, check out 8 great examples of branded Facebook pages, and find out how to run your own (successful) contest on social media. And the small business owner’s guide to group buying sites.

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5 LinkedIn Profile Necessities

LinkedIn can be a valuable tool for growing your professional networks. However, many people who are on LinkedIn don’t take the time to optimize their profiles. If you’re on LinkedIn, or planning to join sometime soon, then pay attention to these 5 LinkedIn profile necessities (to ensure that you market yourself as effectively as possible).

 

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Social Media A Top Driver of Traffic for Travel Brands

A recently study evaluating the ‘digital competency’ of travel brands found that social media was a ‘top eight’ driver of traffic for 78% of travel sites. In addition, for 90% of sites, social media was a top destination after leaving their site (accounting for 11% of leaving traffic overall). The study reinforces what we know about how people use social media when researching and booking travel online – that it is very much a part of how customers experience travel online. The study evaluated digital competency on the basis of their site, digital marketing efforts, mobile experience and use of social media.

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8 Examples of Successful Facebook Marketing

We’re always interested in how brands are leveraging Facebook to connect with their customers; And we’re seeing more and more creative uses of Facebook emerging. Here, Mashable has a look at 8 examples of great Facebook marketing efforts. All of these examples leverage great design, visual imagery and user interaction in order to boost ‘Likes’ and engagement. The ’8′ include 1-800-Flowers.com, which integrated Facebook Like buttons with all of its products on its eCommerce store. This means that when browsing through their offerings you can see what your friends ‘Liked.’

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A Small Business Marketer’s Guide to Group Deal Sites

If you’re a small business owner, you’ve probably heard about group deal sites (and all the associated hype around them). It looks as if group deal sites might be in it for the long haul – or at least in the meantime they’re still growing significantly. But, are they right for your business? Hubspot has put together a guide for small business owners thinking about promoting their business through a group deal site, including cautionary factors that you need to be aware of.

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How to Run a Successful Social Media Contest

Many businesses run contests using social media as a means of engaging with their customers. Social media contests have the potential to elicit an incredible response but, needless to say, some are more successful than others. So what makes a successful social media contest? Social Media Examiner has a great guide on running a successful contest. One of the mostt important thing to remember is to prioritize execution over concept – a great idea isn’t a great idea if it doesn’t work.

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Wellington CBD to Get Free WiFi

Wellington will be the first city in New Zealand to provide free WiFi internet access across its CBD, just in time for the Rugby World Cup. The network will be funded and maintained by the City Council, with some of the cost ($80,000 + $216,000 per annum) passed onto sponsors. With many people now owning WiFi-enabled cell phones or tablet devices this could be the boost that location-based marketing and ‘checking-in’ needs (at least for those in Wellington). You can find all the information about Wellington’s free WiFi network on Stuff.

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On A Lighter Note

Lady GaGa has done a commercial for Google Chrome. The short ad illustrates how Lady GaGa built one of the world’s largest fan bases by using the web to interact with her community. You can watch it below, what do you think of it?